Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Pin It Now!
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...
just kidding!

BUT in all seriousness I am borderline obsessed with Pinterest, as most of the people I know are. We share a lot of things on that website (like my blog posts, hint hint - haha), and many of us re-share things our friends have shared.

I use my account like a virtual souvenir box of tips, tricks, dreams, ideas, recipes, pretty things, funny things, crafts and more. Some people use theirs as a means of sharing their products, services, ideas, opinions, etc.

Whatever you use it for, Pinterest has a TON of great posts, and here are some of my favourites that you may or may not have seen!

Suzy is one of my favourite bloggers, and this pin is how I found her! This pin is also the reason I became so obsessed with the idea of having a gender reveal party. I honestly can't wait to do it. Her whole blog is great, so check it out and follow her!

Possibly the most delicious pasta I have ever tasted, AND it's crazy easy to make! I highly recommend it. I make it all the time and my boyfriend loves it. I add chopped onions and peppers to mine, just to make it seem a *bit* less fattening. I doubt that it helps but it makes ME feel better haha!

This is another devastatingly delicious dish, and it's ALSO easy. Can you tell I like my meals easy!? I'm a HUGE potato fan, so basically anything with potatoes in it I enjoy. Add cheese and bacon and I'm over the moon. I eat this with sour cream or ranch when it's done. Mmmm.

I may post a few of these every now and then, as I am always finding new and awesome things on Pinterest. Do you have any favourites?? Sound off in the comments :)

Thursday, October 25, 2012

For Mike's mom's birthday, in addition to her other presents, I decided to give her a wreath I had hand made. I thought it would look beautiful on her front door! And it was quite easy to make, so I thought I'd share the steps with you guys!

WHAT YOU NEED:
- GRAPEVINE WREATH (I got mine at Michaels for around $3!)
- FAKE FLOWERS (For an Autumn wreath stick to oranges, yellows, browns. I got mine at the dollar store and saved a ton of money that way!)
- HOT GLUE GUN
- GLUE STICKS (you can find these at craft stores and the dollar store!)
- RIBBON (I used two widths, one over top of the other. Stick to Autumn colours again)

STEP 1
Begin by wrapping the ribbon around your wreath as seen in the picture above.

Finish the wrapping with a nice fold to hide frayed edges, and secure with a dab of glue.

Secure the bow wherever you'd like (mine is to the side) with, again, a generous dab of glue :)

STEP 3
Begin adding flowers. Alternate between types and sizes. I find it's easier to place the flowers in the placements you'd like prior to gluing. Once you've found a set up that you are happy with, begin gluing them one by one. You can also add a bird, if you'd like. I tucked one in on mine so it looks like he has made a home in the wreath.

aaaannnndddd, that's about it! Honestly! You will have a beautiful finished product. be sure to fluff up your bow and flowers, and clear any strings that the glue gun has left behind.

If you use this tutorial, please show me your finished product! I'd love to see!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Pin It Now!
I like to think I keep a relatively clean home.. But Mike will be the first to tell you that is not the case.

I have a confession.I am messy.

This is a big thing for me to admit to you guys.
Really.
I want SO badly to be one of those neat and tidy ladies.
The perfect home maker.
The perfect wife.
But I'm messy and lazy and sometimes it shows.

That being said I will usually tidy before a guest comes over.
I'll put crap in closets.
Garbage in bags.
Dishes in the dishwasher.
Okay, so some might say I "hide" some things, too.

But any other time? Stuff is everywhere. My craft area is our living room right now. There is fabric all over the couch, and odds and ends on our coffee table.

When I was little I was SO weird, I would go to friend's houses and tidy their rooms.
Organize their drawers.
Rearrange their things.
They loved it.
What happened to that girl?

I want to learn to be motivated, but I am terrified that this is something I'm not going to master. Maybe someday.. Maybe when I have a baby to take care of.. But I probably won't have the time then! I HAVE the time now, so what is WRONG with me!? I really, really, REALLY hope that I change soon. I want it to be super clean in our new home.
I want it to be beautiful.
Our first house.

Today I read a post on one of my favourite blogs, Little Miss Momma. It was basically about this same subject. Ashley (the author) chose prayer and found it helped her. Admittedly I have not tried that yet, but at the end of her entry she said this:

Try it.
Prayer, I mean.
Even if you’re not the praying type.
Even if you don’t believe in the same God I do, or any God for that matter.
Even if you’ve been disappointed in the past.
Try the form of prayer that works for you.
Maybe it’s meditation, or journal writing, or just a few moments of uninterrupted time to yourself and your thoughts. Try using this time to reconnect with your partner, to get back on the same page, and start your morning with the tools needed to equip you for your day.

That really got me.

The other day Michael spent a good 45 minutes cleaning our kitchen spotless. And tonight as I took a glass to the sink and popped some popcorn, I noticed that after having cooked dinner that spotless kitchen was a mess again, and I felt terrible. I felt like I was entirely to blame. I mean, I made the mess after all. I made the meal..

So I have decided that whenever there is something that needs to be done (cleaning, working out, packing - whatever it may be) I am going to jump on Pinterest for a quick 15 minute bout of exploration. I will look at cleaning tips and tricks, organization ideas, pictures of beautiful, clean homes. I will read Ashley's blog. I will take 15 minutes to try and motivate myself in that way. My form of prayer. And hopefully it will become routine.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Pin It Now!
Oh you guys, I am so sorry for abandoning you for so long! I have a few excuses, though. One being Thanksgiving. Second being writer's block. Third being.. well, life.

our first Thanksgiving as our own little family unit

THANKSGIVING
In Canada Thanksgiving is in October. Other than that it's the exact same as American Thanksgiving. We eat a lot of food, watch football, and take naps. I touched on Thanksgiving briefly in my last post because I was feeling a bit down, but my Thanksgiving, and every holiday really, tend to be a bit more busy than your average person's!

My parents have not been together since I was 3, so I got pretty used to spreading myself out amongst my two families for holidays. However THIS year, I have a serious boyfriend who I live with, so that's another family added in. PLUS we are our own little family, so that makes 4. Yep. In total Mike and I had 4 Thanksgiving gatherings. It. Was. Wonderful. Thank God I don't believe in weighing myself because I probably gained 87 pounds. Hey, you never know.

Mike and I in his aunt's backyard at Thanksgiving

WRITER'S BLOCK
This is the worst. There were 3 instances where I thought to myself "Hmm, I should blog right now", but then I had ab-so-luuuutely no idea what to write. I didn't want to bring you guys a half bummed entry! Though I'm not sure this one is any better..

LIFE!
I have a cold. I have a boyfriend who likes my attention. I have a bed that's just really comfortable, okay!? I really don't have much more... besides video games, and maybe random errands......

our pretty pumpkins and door (for 6 more weeks!)

Ha. Well, anyway. I AM working on something really great right now. I am pretty excited about it and even more excited to present it to you guys. That's all I'm going to say for now, but stay tuned. I will keep you in the loop, I promise!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Have you ever sat in front of a mirror, on a chair or on your bed? Looking at yourself straight on with your thighs all squashed out, your stomach rolls bunching up, and everything in a terribly unflattering position..? Well, I was getting ready for one of our Thanksgiving gatherings this weekend and as I sat on the edge of our bed putting my makeup on I took a long, hard look at myself. Then I did it again as I sat on a bench at Mike's aunt's house, putting my boots on my fat legs, seeing my big arms and wide shoulders.

I do NOT understand why I allow myself to look this way.
I do NOT understand why I let myself get this bad.
I do NOT understand why I'm so lazy, unmotivated, and unsuccessful.

But I DO understand that it can't continue.

I'll admit a secret to you - I can't wait to have a baby. I am baby crazy right now as I daydream about my future with Michael. And one thing I know very well is that is it not good to carry excess weight when you are tying to get pregnant, or when you are having a baby.

That SHOULD be all I need to motivate me. That should be enough. That PLUS the view of myself while sitting, or in pictures.. THAT should be MORE than enough.

But it isn't.
WHY?

I need motivation. I need determination. I need strength and willpower. I lack all of these things that make it possible to make a lifestyle change and get fit.

My past haunts me. Last September I started running using the app Ease Into 5k (formerly called Couch to 5k). The app plays your music while it teaches beginners how to run in 9 weeks. In October I started a 6 week program at Get Fit Bootcamp. From September to mid October I lost 30lbs running alone. I lost an additional 20 from running and bootcamp in the following 6 weeks. The program I was in was a trial, and I got in for free. I was blessed with that. However, I couldn't afford to continue going.

Then the snow came. I tried to run in the winter but it was more difficult to breathe, and very difficult to run on the ice. So I stopped running all together. My mother got me a membership at the YMCA so I could run indoors. I went once. We canceled it. I tried to run in the spring, but it was too wet and muddy. Then the summer came and it was too hot. Excuse after excuse, issue after issue, and the pounds came back. Before long I had gained back everything that I had lost. I am so sad and disappointed in myself.

That brings us to now. I have started at Get Fit again; I've been going for 2 weeks, this week is my third. And I really want to start running again, but up until now I have lacked the motivation. I'm hoping to start tonight, actually. I go to bootcamp at noon on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so I'm hoping to run on Tuesday and Thursday, and if I can find the motivation, Saturday as well.

I'm hoping by sharing this story with all of you, you will help me stay motivated. I figured if I make my struggle public like this that I HAVE to stick to it, or else I won't only fail, but I will also be embarrassed. This way there is something holding me accountable. Right?

I will update occasionally, but not every day. Every blog regarding my struggle will be tagged with "weight loss", "life", and "personal", so you have 3 tags to find the entries under. I'm going to try and continue my life as normal, and not place a large amount of emphasis on this so I do not become overwhelmed. It shouldn't be overwhelming. It should just be a gradual lifestyle change that I can maintain for the rest of my life.

If you have any stories, comments, suggestions, words of encouragement, please leave them for me. I'd love to see them. Feel free to follow my blog via bloglovin' or via google (the link is in my sidebar). And if you have a blog that you'd like me to follow, I'd be more than happy to.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

I don't know if you guys are like me, but I have the HARDEST time getting rid of my blackheads/clogged pores. It's the worst on my nose and below my lips/on my chin. I have tried numerous masks, peels, scrubs, and soaps. Nothing seemed to work for me besides using my nails to push the gunk out. Which is a) bad for your skin, and b) time consuming. Even those strips don't work for me! I was desperate.

A co-worker told me about this awesome way to clear the clogs and minimize pores, and it's craaaazy easy. So I'm going to share it with all of you.

WHAT YOU NEED
- your regular soap or face wash
- a scrub or exfoliant

{If you don't like the products you currently use, I have some suggestions for you to try}

My regular (daily) skin care products right now do NOT lather, so I actually only use a gentle unscented soap (Ivory or Dove) for this. You do need the cleanser or soap you use to lather, as that is what helps remove the gunk. I'll explain further. But since my skin care regimen has proven very successful for me, I'm gonna recommend what I use for every day.

WHAT TO DO
Okay, so it's seriously SO simple! I strongly recommend doing this in the shower, once per week.

1. Wet your face.

2. Starting with your cleanser, lather some up in your hands. Apply to your entire face in a circular motion for 2 - 4 minutes. YUP. 2 - 4 minutes. It's gonna feel really weird and you're gonna wanna stop way sooner than 2 minutes, just by impulse. I only do 2 minutes, but some skin types may need longer. Play around with it, you'll get the feel. I use a couple fingers and focus on my main trouble areas like my nose and chin, but do make sure you get every area of your face.

3. Rinse off well.

4. Grab your exfoliant or scrub. Do the same as in step 2. Focusing again on your trouble areas, but getting the whole face, gently apply the scrub to your face in circular motions for 2 - 4 minutes.

5. Rinse off well.

6. Repeat step 2, and once again lather up and apply the cleanser.

7. Rinse off well with cool/cold water (this 'closes' the pores).

8. Gently blot (not wipe!) dry with a clean towel.

9. Follow up with a toner if you have one you normally use. If not, I recommended one that I love above, the Tea Tree Water by Lush.

THAT'S IT! I told you it was simple, huh? You SHOULD find your skin extraordinarily soft, and your pores pretty cleaned out. It won't be perfect, but if you do a strip, do it in a steamy hot shower, or apply a hot compress to your trouble areas beforehand, you may find it to be more successful.

Please let me know if you use this, and how it works for you! Or if there are any products you'd recommend, ORRRRR if you have any questions, just shoot me a comment.

Friday, October 5, 2012

I'm not usually the "recipe" type. What I mean is, I usually don't measure anything before I toss it into the pan, pot, or oven. I'm sort of like Chef at Home's Michael Smith, only much less dreamy. So I will do my best to gather this info for you so you can experience this rice as well, because it was one of the most delicious food experiments I've ever had!
Sorry this picture is terrible, I took it before this blog came to be!

What You Will Need
2 cups of cooked white rice
1/2 a red pepper, chopped
1/2 any other colour pepper, chopped
1 small can of corn kernels, cooked
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1 or 2 chicken breasts, fully cooked however you wish (I boil it)
1/4 cup of hot sauce (I like Frank's), or less depending on preference
1/2 of a tablespoon of garlic salt (I usually just do this to taste)

2. Shred your chicken. I do this using my fingers and/or two forks. If you do not know how to shred chicken, check out this awesome and easy tutorial. It's easiest to shred after boiling.

3. Toss the shredded chicken, corn, chopped peppers, chopped onion, and rice into a big wok, and place it over medium heat.

4. Add the hot sauce immediately and evenly stir it in, mixing thoroughly. Do this to taste. I use a lot, that's my preference.

5. Evenly sprinkle the garlic salt and mix it in. Add more if you wish. You can also add ground black pepper, jalapeño, or dried chili pepper flakes to add more flavour.

6. Once all of the ingredients have evenly heated up you can remove it from the heat!

7. ENJOY!

That's it. There is a lot of options in this recipe since I like to keep the heat and flavours up to each individual. If you follow the recipe (without the optional ingredients) it should come out with a sorta sweet but spicy flavour.

If you try this and like it please let me know!! Especially if you played with the ingredients and came up with something good. Toss me a comment below.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

I'm Misty Blue, a 26 year old from Ontario, Canada! After blog-stalking for years, I decided it was high time for me to give this a try for myself. I'm currently job searching (hopefully not for too much longer), so I have a lot of free time on my hands (a generous chunk of it is spent on Pinterest, not gonna lie) and I figured, why not give blogging a try!?

Clumsy Companion is the name I landed on because I am very new to being the woman of the house, a homeowner, a "wifey", a caretaker, and the person that others rely on for various things like dinner and clean laundry. So far I am bumbling through it (happily!), making mistakes, and doing things horribly wrong. But would life really be fun if we never made any mistakes? I know I'd personally never learn a thing!! So here it is, all laid out for you, the honest examples of my every day life.

I live with my incredible and spirited boyfriend Michael, who has so much happiness inside of him sometimes I'm not sure how he doesn't explode! He balances me out so perfectly. We have a lot in common, but like any couple, we butt heads time and again. This was discovered to be very true when we had to design our new home. Cupboards, tiles, counter tops, carpet.. We had differing opinions in all things design. However, it actually came together a lot more easily than I thought it would! I am SO excited for our home to be built so I can see how beautiful it looks, and begin turning our first house into a home, that I am counting down each and every single day until we move.

Some of the things I love are hikes, photography, crafts, colouring (you're never too old to colour!), cooking and baking, spending time with family, finding sales, and traveling (which I don't get to do enough of, frankly!). This blog will probably have a lot of posts related to the aforementioned passions of mine, as well as general posts about my life, my family, and my relationship. I'm also hoping to have some of my amazing and crafty friends pop in for a guest post here and there. All in all I think there is a lot to look forward to, so I hope you will follow along with me on this crazy journey I call my life.